If you have some new seedling coming up, and some seem to be clipped off right at the soil level, it may be cutworms. These pests feed on blossoms and leaves of many ornamental plants and attack most edible garden crops, clipping off seedling stems near or just below the soil level. A few species […]
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Pesticides are widely used in our homes and gardens, from sprays for ornamental plants that are toxic to birds and bees. Don’t assume these products are safe simply because they are for sale. Neonicotinoids—now the most widely used insecticides—are found in hundreds of products including insect sprays, seed treatments, soil drenches, tree injections, and veterinary
Did you know that ticks can live in backyards and neighborhoods? If you’re living near natural areas (such as open fields, parks, or urban hiking trails) it’s a good idea to learn how to avoid ticks at home. Ticks are found outdoors in brushy, wooded areas on plants, rocks, logs, and in leaves and twigs
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An invasive plant is a plant that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration, and whose introduction is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health” says Plant Right, a California non-profit working with California’s nursery industry to keep invasive plants out of our landscapes and to promote the sale of
Don’t plant a pest! Read More »
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a science-based decision-making process that combines tools and strategies to identify and manage pests. It’s not one specific action or tactic; it is the combination of all actions that reduce the impact of pests while minimizing negative effects on the environment. In addition to its primary purpose of reducing numbers
What is IPM and why use it? Read More »
Rust is one of the most common fungal diseases of garden plants, there are thousands of different species that infect trees, shrubs, ferns, perennials, edibles and more, like pear, peach, and pine, rhododendrons, roses, chrysanthemums, fuchsias, geraniums, lilies, and snapdragons. Rusts have been a scourge to humans for centuries, impacting important food and fiber crops
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If you’ve got something messing up your lawn and you’re not sure what it is, look at how they dig. Skunks create holes about the size of their nose when they dig for earthworms, grubs, and other soil insects with their long, front claws. Raccoons enjoy diets that are almost identical to skunks but use
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You know the saying – a weed is simply any plant in a place you don’t want it. Are you seeing grasses, dandelions, bindweed, and others popping up in your lawn, flower beds, vegetable gardens or other exposed spaces? Even in teeny spaces between bricks on your patio? What’s a gardener to do with such
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Finding clothes with tiny little holes, or silk-like webbing? Maybe you’ve got webbing clothes moths. They tend to hide when disturbed, so you might not notice them until they’ve damaged your fabric, fur, or feathered items. They’re especially drawn to fabrics with sweat, food, or urine stains. It’s the larval form of the insect that
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Rollie pollie’s – are these good or bad? Known more commonly as pill bugs, these non-insects are terrestrial crustaceans. Sometimes called a roly-poly due to its ability to roll into ball when disturbed, they are part of Nature’s recycling team. They are nocturnal and generally hide under boards, rocks, flowerpots, piles of grass clippings, flower-bed
What are Pill bugs? Read More »
